Lincoln Wright and Bob Blake, South Bend Tribune
MICHIGAN CITY — When Chief Mick Pawlik was notified Tuesday night that the silent alarm in the Safe Haven Baby Box at the Cooslpring Township Fire Department was triggered, he assumed it was another false alarm.
Several times, curious people have accidentally triggered the alarm for the box, which is located on the outside of the fire station. But it was still his responsibility to go check. Pawlik arrived at the department at 10:24 p.m.
When he got to the box, he could see there was actually something inside this time. Pawlik was hesitant when he approached it, worried someone put an animal inside as a prank.
But when he opened it, staring back at him was a newborn baby with the umbilical cord still attached. The infant was wrapped in a gray sweatshirt.
The baby was transported by ambulance to Franciscan St. Anthony's Hospital in Michigan City and appeared to be healthy and in good condition. The Indiana Department of Child Services will take custody of the baby once it's released from the hospital.
The Safe Haven Baby Box was installed at the fire department on April 28, 2016, and is one of only two Safe Haven boxes in the United States. The other is located in Woodburn.